oehring



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. J. OEHRING. BRUSH HOLDER.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

AUGUST J. OEIIRING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TI'IE TESTER-NELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BRUSH-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,271, dated February1, 1898.

Application filed Tune 30, 1896. Serial No. 597,533. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST J. OEHRING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brusl1-Holders,(CaseNo. 16,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, forminga part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improved feed device for the com mutator-brushes of dynamo-electric machines,the object thereof being toprovide means for securing an even feed Aand adjustment of thecommutator-brushes as the same are worn away or consumed by the arcingof the current during the operation' of the machine and for holding thesaid brushes at the same time firmly in position.

In United States Letters Patent No. 563, 337, granted to Henry II. TaitJuly 7, 1896, Figure 6 of the drawings shows a holder for a number ofcarbon brushes which are adapted to be forced into engagement with thecommu* tator-segments by springs which are mounted upon uprights, theinner faces of which are serrated. The said springs are adapted to beadj ustably secured at any (approximately at the desired) height upontheir respective uprights by engaging the rear ends thereof with theteeth cut in said upright-s, whereby compensation is madefor the wearingaway of the carbon brushes and the force exerted by the said springs isregulated. It is apparent that the spacing of the teeth upon theuprights regulates the successive downward adjustments of the springs,and it has been found that a close adjustment cannot thus beconveniently secured, while the springs, not being fastened to thebrush-holder, when re leased from the engaging teeth upon the uprightsare liable to be thrown ont of position by the force they exert and fallinto the ma- Chine.

My invention relates to improvements in the above appliance whichovercome the objections to be urged against the same.

These improvements consist in providing a rack-and-screw adjustment forthe springs controlling the feeding of the brushes and pivoted dogsactuated by laterally-acting springs for holding the said brushes firmlyin position during the operation of the machine.

I will explain the features of my invention more fully by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of abrushholder fitted with my improvements, with a portion of the devicebroken away to show the dog and laterally-acting spring. Fig. 2 is 6o atop view of the same device. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the springmounted upon the collar and extension, showing the adjustingscrew.

Like letters of reference designate the same parts throughout theseveral figures.

The frame a of the brush-holder is provided with the openings h b bibs,in which the carbon brushes c c c2 c3 are placed in position to extendbelow the central portion of the 7o frame and bear upon thecommutator-segments. Standards d d d2 d3 are rigidly secured by screwsto the frame of the brushholder at a slight outward angle with thevertical. Each carbon brush is provided with a spring c c e2 c3, adaptedto bear upon its top and independently force it into engagement with thecommutator. The said springs are each mounted upon a collar andextension f f f2 f 3, adapted to fit loosely upon the stand- 8o ards. Aratchet screw-thread is cut upon the inner face of each of thestandards, with which the screws g g g2 g3, rotatably mounted upon theextensions, are adapted to engage when the springs are placed inposition and bear upon the carbon brushes.

The screws are provided with insulating thumb-pieces 7L 7L 7a2 h3, byturning which the adjustment of the carbon brushes is secured.

As the collars iit loosely upon the standards, 9o by merely inclinin gthe pieces while slipping them into position upon the standards thescrews may be thrown out of engagement with the ratchet-thread out uponthe said standards until the inner end of the spring bears upon thecarbon brush. Secondary or reinforcing springs e' t" t2 i3 are securedto the extensions above the springs e c c2 c3, which serve the doublepurpose of strengthening the said brush-springs and securing the adroojusting-screws in position. 'The latter is accomplished by means of aslot cut in the rear end of each of the secondary springs, the walls ofwhich engage a groove cut in the screw-shaft, which extends through theeX- tension. It is evident that the pressure eX- erted by each springupon the corresponding brush may be altered as desired by turning thescrew after the same engages the ratchetthread upon thesupporting-standards. In this way a finely-graduated adjustment issecured and compensation made for the wear and consumption of thebrushes.

The brush-holder shown in the drawings is adapted for use in connectionwith a commutator rotating in contra-clockwise direction. Springs 7c7c', secured to the brush-holder, are adapted to force the brushes c c'firmly against the left walls of the openings b b', and dogs Z Z2,pivoted in the brush-holder at the right of the openings h2 b3, arelikewise adapted to hold the brushes c2 c3 firmly in position, beingactuated by the coiled springs m m. The brush-holder may, however, bereadily altered for use with a commu tator rotating in a clockwisedirection by merely securing the springs 7c 7c upon the opposite side ofthe support upon which they are mounted, so that the lower ends willextend within the openings h2 b3, and changing the dogs Z' Z2 andsprings fm m to the corresponding position at the left of the openings hb.

The improvements above described furnish independent means for securelyholding each brush in position and adjusting the force with which it ispressed against the commutator, as well as compensating for the wear andconsumption of the said brush.

I do not desire to be understood as broadly claiming the device hereinshown and described, as my invention relates only to the improvements Ihave provided therein, where-y by the commutator-brushes are securelyheld in position by dogs and laterally acting springs, and afinely-graduated downward adjustment of the said brushes is obtained bymeans of the screw provided upon each of the brush-springs.

I therefore claim as novel- I. In a commutator-brush holder fordynamo-electric machines, the combination with an opening or socket inwhich the brush is easily inserted, of a spring adapted to bear upon thebrush and yieldingly force it into engagement with the com mntator, astandard, a collar mounted upon the said standard to which one end ofthe spring is secured, and engaging threaded parts provided upon thesaid standard and collar affording a rack-andscrew adjustment wherebythe tension of the spring is regulated,substantially as described.

2. In a commutator-brush holder for dynaino-electric machines, thecombination with the commutator-brush, of a dog bearing laterally uponsaid brush, and a spring actuating the said dog to hold the brushsecurely in position, substantially as described.

3. In a commutator-brush holder for dyna- 1no-electric machines, thecombination with commutator-brushes adapted to be inserted in saidholder, of dogs pivoted in the frame of the brush-holder, and springsactuating said dogs to laterally engage the brushes and hold the samesecurely in position, substantially as described.

4E. In a commutator-brush holder for dynamo-electric machines, thecombination with the commutator-brush, of a spring adapted to force thesame into engagement with the commutator, a collar and extension towhich the spring is secured, a standard upon which the collar looselyfits provided with a threaded face, and a screw mounted upon said collarand extension adapted to engage the threaded portion of the standardwhereby the collar is adjusted at any height upon the standard and thetension of the spring regulated, substantially as described.

5. In a commutator-brush holder for dynamo-electric machines, thecombination with adjustable carbon brushes, of springs bearing upon thesaid brushes, screws adapted to secure the adjustment of the saidsprings and brushes, dogs pivoted in the frame of the brush-holder, andsprings actuating the said dogs to laterally engage the brushes and holdthem firmly in position, substantially as described.

6. In a commutator-brush holder for dynamo-electric machines, thecombination with adjustable carbon brushes c c c2 c3 adapted to beinserted in the said holder, of the standards d cl d2 d3 having aratchet-thread cut upon their inner faces, collars and extensions ff f2f3 adapted to fit loosely upon the said standards, springs c e e2 e3secured to the said extensions and bearing respectively upon the carbonbrushes c c' c2 c3, screws g g g2 g3 mounted upon the extensions andadapted to engage the ratchet-thread provided upon the inner faces ofthe standards and secure, by their rotation, the adjustment of the saidsprings and brushes, dogs Z l2 bearing laterally upon the said brushes,and springs m m actuating the said dogs to hold the carbon brushesfirmly in position, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day of June,A. D. 1896.

AUGUST J, OEIIRING.

lVitnesses:

GEORGE L. CRAGG, JOHN W. SINcLAIR.

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